South Bay-based musician Bean Tupou of Try the Pie is involved in a variety of projects in support of the DIY community, from the San Jose collective Think and Die Thinking to the twee-punk act Sourpatch among others. Using music and art as a platform for socially conscious messages and queer-positive politics, Tupou skillfully offers a hand at helping to create spaces that are inclusive for the underrepresented—-coming from a queer Tongan background themself.
Try the Pie’s first full-length, Domestication, was released earlier this year; its follow-up is Rest, an album of various writings taken from 2005-2008, compiled together and self-recorded in the musician’s bedroom in San Francisco. The solo effort allows Tupou to open up to listeners; beyond the music itself, the approach captures natural, raw sounds that remind us of the comfort of home. Featuring an array of distant background noise — from dishes being washed to the beeping of a dying smoke detector — Rest is an incredibly personal music experience, although capturing the listener’s attention in the intimate story is never overlooked. Tupou remarks,”‘Alu’a’ is the Tongan word for goodbye when you are staying and the other person is going. ‘Rest’ is an album dedicated to this sentiment.”
The album, out via HHBTM Records on November 13, is fragility at the musician’s finest. Stream it for yourself in the player below.
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